


Never gone

by m_findlow



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25142989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_findlow/pseuds/m_findlow
Summary: It's hard to miss someone when it doesn't seem like they've gone.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Kudos: 28
Collections: fic_promptly Fills 2016





	Never gone

At first it had seemed cute and rather endearing, but now it was actually driving Jack to distraction. If he saw one more of those damned post it notes, he was honestly going to lose it.

Jack had the house all to himself for a week. Ianto had been requested by UNIT to attend a United Nations conference in Brussels as part of the British security contingency to be in attendance. It was an incredibly high honour to be asked to attend, and Jack has no reservations about letting Ianto go, if only so he'd be spared from going himself. Conferences weren't his thing. They were boring for the most part, and all that schmoozing with self important bureaucrats made him want to grind his teeth. Ianto, though quiet and reserved, was much better at standing there making idle chit-chat, and patient enough to listen to people talk about themselves for hours on end.

A week was a long time for them to be apart, and Jack had been worried that he'd miss Ianto so much he wouldn't be able to think straight. Apparently Ianto had the same idea. About the thinking straight part, that is. So much so, that he'd taken the liberty of leaving him lots of little "helpful" notes all about the place.

In the fridge was a note on the milk saying "throw out after Tuesday", knowing that Jack never took any notice of the expiration date, based on the belief that if it hadn't turned solid or green, or both, that it was still suitable for consumption.

There was another one on the linen cupboard door that said "Don't forget to vacuum", a chore than Ianto would have done weekly, but in his absence would be forgotten.

The mirror in the bathroom said "Don't leave the cap off the toothpaste", a bug bear of Ianto's, that every night Jack would fail to cap the toothpaste, meaning that when he went to use it in the morning, the first bit in the tube would be crusty and hard, forced out onto his brush in an unappealing lump.

One on the front door reminded Jack about "keys" which he often left behind, always working on the assumption that Ianto would be carrying his, or that Ianto would be home to let him in anyway.

There was even a note stuck to the toe of his boot that had the audacity to demand "clean socks!", and one on the stool in the corner of their bedroom that said "not here, fold it and hang it up properly".

The wretched things were everywhere. He'd be glad just to get out of the house and to the hub, where despite the lack of decent coffee, he'd at least be spared any more "friendly reminders" on how to run Torchwood.

The cold wind whipped around him as he stepped outside. He tucked his hand into his pocket, and felt a bitter rage rise up inside him at the feeling of what could only be another paper note, jammed into his pocket. He had a right mind to call Ianto right now and tell him that all of his stuff would be boxed up and left outside the door when he came back, and that he could find somewhere else to live. He pulled the offensive bit of paper from his pocket, almost ready to throw it straight in the nearest bin, but curiosity got the better of him, and he wondered what else Ianto could possibly feel he needed to be reminded of.

He unruffled it from where he'd balled it in his fist when he'd fished it out.

"I love you".

All the resentment faded away in an instant at those three little words. He reached into his pocket, so that he could text Ianto back and tell him how much he loved him too, but finding his pocket empty.

Damn, left my phone back at the house. Should've left me a note reminding me about that, he thought.


End file.
